Grips With Reality
by Broadwaypoetess
Summary: Aladdin, before his deportation in the first film has to deal with Jafar's cold truths. PG13 to be safe for a quick flash of violence


Disclaimer: I don't own it. And haven't seen the first film in months. Some references to my other fics, but reading them is not necessary.  
Scene: _Prince Ali (Reprise)_ from the first film. Jafar messes with Aladdin before his departure.

Rating: PG-13 to be safe. Violence and angst stuff.

**Grips With Reality**

He had tried and failed. One desperate plea to his Genie, but it was useless. Jafar had control. And here Aladdin was, hanging in a trapped suspension, floating in his royal clothes and feeling so weak.

"Prince Ali…?" Jasmine whispered, her eyes filling with tears. What would happen next?

"No, not Ali, princess. Not even a Prince."

Through the pseudo night the dark figure of Jafar emerged. His oily voice was touched with laughter. There was no opposition now. The tiger, the Princess, and the Sultan were bowing to him.

"Oh, dear boy," the dark vizier moved closer to Aladdin and softly hissed, "this isn't what you wanted. All you wanted was love, but you were too blind, and then too scared to realize the consequences. You could satisfy her, for the moment, but could you satisfy your subjects? You know nothing of responsibility, nothing of dominance. That's what happens when you have to steal everyday… aren't you foolish?"

Aladdin blinked for a moment and lowered his head, "I never thought it would go that far."

"You have no hindsight, boy," his voice raised, "You are a silly little boy with a silly little dream. You have no goals, no property, no purpose. You have nothing to offer her. Love fades in marriages. Women are the first to sense it and they wander, and their incompetent men never see it coming. Strong men can satisfy their women. Rich men. Not those that steal from apple carts."

The Princess arched her back and tried to crawl forward, lifting her head, "Apple carts?" She looked from Jafar to Aladdin, "He's not what he says he is?"

Jafar's eyes remained fixed on the boy, "Jasmine, you will learn to hold your tongue, but I suppose being an uneducated princess in a suffering kingdom destroys a woman's sense of intuition. This boy," he grinned, "is your street urchin."

There was a horrible violet light that ate away at his royal garments and left him in his peasant vest and pants. His mighty elephant was reduced to the small monkey, trapped in a separate suspension.

Jasmine's eyes widened, "Ali …the boy from the market."

"Or should we say _Aladdin_?-" Iago, the devilish parrot sneered.

"-Jasmine, I tried to tell you-" Aladdin muttered.

"-And my diamond in the rough," Jafar shouted mercilessly overlapping him, "I thank you, boy. It took awhile, but I'm sure I'll be able to relax and laugh on this whole ordeal in years' time. You tried so hard, you really did. I was almost impressed. Almost thwarted. But here you are."

He raised his hand and with slow, calculating movements gracefully moved his arms back and rapidly shot his hand forward. The noise of a cracking whip echoed and three long bloody welts formed on Aladdin's chest.

The tears were now flowing faster down Jasmine's face as she curled up and hugged the floor.

"Do you feel pain, Aladdin? She cries for you. But she doesn't even know why. You are a liar. She trusted you. She believed in you. She wanted to rule with you. But you're nothing now. You're not her loving, magical Prince Ali, nor are you her peasant savior, her martyr. You're faceless. Nothing at all."

"Are you going to kill me?" he choked out.

"And what would that do, boy? Don't you want to die? Don't you want her to forget the crime and remember your," he paused, "_better_ side for a while. She'll be so horrified with your death; she'll make it her duty to keep you alive in her memory. She'd never love again. Noble, isn't it? As noble as you aren't. No, boy, I'm sending you away. Somewhere so unlike here. You'll slowly fade into the afterlife as your essence fades from her. And as you try to hold on, you'll see her inside your head. Forced into a loveless marriage. Forced into something to keep her dying land alive. But at least I'll be a strong ruler. She'll see that. She may even grow to love it. And you'll feel the pain of knowing that someone possesses what you desire. Someone that you find so unworthy. Someone you'd want to kill. And yet torture them first."

The demon parrot squawked at the fat little Sultan. Jafar smiled and his dark eyes bore into Aladdin's.

"So long…"  
"Goodbye, see ya!"  
"…ex-Prince Ali!"

--Fin

(review, please.)


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